Source:Dragon*Con, 2 September 2005 - report by Isabel
Dragon*Con - September 2, 2005 - report by Isabel posted on Theoryland message boards Notes: First of all, my English sucks. WSB has been checking some of the answers and they are correct now. My comments will still suck. Second: I have been typing this in the late evening. I stopped before one and now it's six and I have started writing this again. With some questions I haven't put down the full question and answer and some are still left out. Because I am busy and not fully interested in the answer to every question asked. Perhaps the full report will be next week. **WSB helped the next day and we fixed it** Third: For joining the Official Nynaeve Fanclub you don't have to do anything else than send me the name under which you want to be listed on the list. Email to isabelsedaiSPAM@hotmail.com (remove the spam part of course). Fourth: I managed to recruit 16 new members so far. I am going to keep trying to get more members. The other amyrlin of the fanclub should be so proud at me. Report written by Isabel Dragon Con day 1 As you might all know, or might know now, I am a crazy wot fan and Nynaeve fan. (I recruited 16 more members for the Official Nynaeve Fanclub.) Infidel: Yeah I am a fangirl. I met Robert Jordan before 4 years ago and he thought I was 12 than. (I was 17 at that time.) Any I just go a bit crazy when I can ask Robert Jordan lots of questions. Note I am 21 and not 12, some people were going huh, she doesnt look 12! Anyway, first was the signing at 1 o clock. I was there already at 11.45 or something like that. So I was first in line. I kept spots for the fellow Theorylanders who would arrive later. (zae, kitten, Dapple, Hopper) So they were standing next in line. Anyway, I was really excited about meeting Jordan again. I was kind of jumping up and down and hoping he recognized me. He entered and when he sat down. He looked at me and recognized me and said something like: Did you sneak out without telling your mother? The Theorylanders all laughing and than telling them I was 12 again. It can be he said more things, but I have kind of forgotten that. Perhaps some fellow Theorylander will add to it for me. Well now the important things for all other people reading this. (and yeah you have to read through all this). His answer to a few questions. (I didn't put on my tape recorder, so not all answers are his exact word, but they are correct.) I started asking him about the two conflicting chats. 'The question was already send to him, but he declined to answer it for the question and answer session. I was wondering about why he would do it, but as you might guess when reading his answer. It's because it's a rafo question. ''this has to do with Thom and the Myrddraal at Whitebridge. '''Both answers on the chat are RIGHT!!!! He knows exactly how Thom managed to escape with only a limp and how he managed to survive that. '''But he might use it in the next book and doesn't want to give away anything. So we have to do it with the knowledge that both answers, although seemingly conflicting are both CORRECT. Well, for Liandra (my fellow amyrlin of the official nynaeve fanclub): '''Tar Valon doesn't mean white tower. It does mean something else, but that's RAFO. Hehe, after those questions Zae went up to Jordan. She first said something about (I don't know exactly anymore) but apparently he took it as an asmo question and said I killed him. Than she asked if Lan and Myrelle slept together. (I thought it was duh, although it probably happened with tweaking the bond.) And for Jordan is was also duh, yeah they slept together. Then I couldn't hear any other questions and I went back in line. I could only ask him one question. It's a discussion we had on Theoryland a while ago. Can the a'dam hold every sul'dam? (he managed to get my question after a few times repeating it. I leave that out). Frenzy, you were right. (I hope I remember your stand on this issue correctly) The a'dam can only hold sul'dam who have been sul'dam for a long time and so wearing the bracelet for a long time. 'Four months for example isn't enough. He said the circle helped them get to the point that's described in the book, as being on the brink of being able to channel, one foot stepped over or something. (quotemasters, plz find that quote for me). Well , those were the signing questions and answers of mine. After that I was on a ''New Spring panel. That was fun. But after that I ran to the Reading session. Fortunately I could get on the front row and save a few spots for fellow Theorylanders (who would be arriving late). He did a reading. He didn't read the prologue as everyone thought he would be, but he did another chapter. I am not allowed to say anything about it. Copyright issues. And no other Theorylander wil say anything about itl!!!! Yeah, sorry RAFO. Think of it as a room full of people have been giving a advanced copy of a chapter or a part of the chapter. After the reading he had a lot of time left for questions and answer session. I jumped up first of course. And he started telling everyone again that I managed to sneak out without telling my mom and that I was 12 hehe, so I think people did notice me. '''Anyway, my first question was: '''In book 10 Elayne mentioned that Galad fancied Nynaeve or had for a time. Did I miss something? (I put his answer on tape, will type out his words, it will be as close to it as I can get it. Although my tape recorder doesn't pick out everything and I am not going to listen to something 10 times to find his exact exact words. But it is really close.) '''First he had to repeat the question: In the tenth book there was a thought that Galad fancied Nynaeve. I thought by Elayne. Me: '''yeah Yeah, and eh it's hard to keep up exactly with who thought what and when. '''RJ: '''Galad did have a certain interest in Nynaeve early on. As sometimes happens that interest has shifted. He is obviously not attracted to Nynaeve anymore. '''Me: '''When did he had the attraction? '''RJ: '''In the beginning when he goes to Nynaeve room. At that time he was interested in her. And Elayne still thinks he is... '''Me: '''But at that time he was interested in Egwene, I thought. '''RJ: '''No not yet. Not at that time. '''Me: '''probably staring at him in amazement. '''RJ: '''No not yet. Someone else asked a '''question about the development of characters. Something about that Mat is his favourite character and that he has forgiven RJ for leaving out Mat for a whole book. (laughter of all the people) And then about how characters grow in RJ's perception/ imagination as the series progressed. RJ: 'Not so much as growing in my perception. I had a thought about how I wanted those people to grow. The first vision that came to me was the ending of the last book. The next things that came to me was Emond's Field. And I realized the book was going to take these people to turn them into those people you see in the last scene in the last book. So I knew how I was going to change them. Not all the mechanism of the changes but I knew how I was going to change them. A question about if Jordan has be approached by movie makers and directors etc. and if he sat down with them. '''RJ: '''There is a company called Red Eagle that has the options for the eye of the world to make the movie. I am waiting to see the outline from the screenwriters. Hmm, which is in effect telling me what of the book they want to keep and what they want to leave out of the book. Since you are not going to get the whole book into movie. But if it's actually going to be made. Even now I can't say. Some years ago NBC optioned ''The Eye of the World to make a six hour mini series. Less than two years after we had signed the contracts. eh They came with the screenwriter, who did the miniseries Merlin. Than two years after the contracts were signed, all the people who brought the project together had left NBC. 'Q: '''Are Ogier being able to dreamwalk? '''RJ: '''No Ogier cannot dreamwalk. '''Q: '''Do you have more hope that the movie is going to be made and is the movie going to be a miniseries or a movie? '''RJ: '''Actually, I have to tell you, I don't really care. It would be nice, but if it doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. I am not a moviemaker. I write books. I will just write more books. A question of me again (sometimes me with my horrible accent has to repeat the question a few times, for him to get it). Although if I remember correctly it was Aan allein's question. '''Q: '''How did Aginor manage to sense the Shadar Logoth dagger in the EOTW? '''RJ: '''That has to do with the end of ''Winter's Heart. How many of you have read it? (everyone but one raising hand, well at least after asking who has not read it) It's an effect of resonance. The dagger is the same evil as the evil of Shadar Logoth. You can say its diametrically opposite to the taint, thats the evil on saidin. Rand, in one point in Shadar Logoth feels it repulsing with each other. And especially in the wounds on his side. There is a resonance created. A positive and negative pulse of evil, you might say. 'Me: '''So it doesnt require actual channeling? '''RJ: '''No, but you have to be close to it. It's not something you can sense from a close distance use to track Padan Fain down. (hehe, YOU? NO, could be Fain. (Emma's own speculation)) '''Q: '''Do Seanchan Ogier have the Longing? '''RJ: '''The Longing is a effect of being separated from the ''stedding for a long time during the Breaking. At the parts that later became the Seanchan empire, there were much more'' stedding'' (through chance). So they were not separated from the stedding for so long. 'Q: '''So will there ever be a confrontation between the Seanchan Ogier and the other Ogier? '''RJ: '''They will meet... (in other words RAFO) '''Q: '''Do certain races have better ability at channeling than others? For example, the Sea Folk at very good at weather, the Aiel have a high proportion of dreamers and the Seanchan can make ter'angreal''. 'RJ: '''The Seanchan can only make one kind of ''ter'angreal. They haven't thought about making another. Certain groups are better at some abilities but it's a matter of need. The Atha'an Miere are dependent on the sea, the wind and water and it would be natural for them to develop high skills to deal with control of weather and winds. For the Aiel, dreaming is one of the ways to find new water, using need is how they find water. When the population in a hold is too great, and they have to find a new hold, the dreamwalker uses need to find it. So yes, there are more dreamwalkers there. '''Tamyrlin: '''The snakes and foxes seem to have a lot of powers. Do they also have the Power? I have two questions: can they transmigrate souls? Two: can they hold the soul of an individual they have killed? '''RJ: '''No. No to both. '''Q: What's the favourite scene you wrote in the entire series? RJ: My favourites scenes are the scenes I am writing. I like them all. (laughing) Q: 'How do the Atha'an Miere and the Amayar deal with male channelers? '''RJ: '''They kill them... actually the Sea Folk kill their male channelers. The Amayar don't channel themselves they see it as a violation of their water way and they commit suicide. '''Q: '''Are we going to see more of Tremalking in the next book or of their prophecies? '''RJ: '''In a way. '''Q: '''I know the male side of the source is clean but those who were driven mad before, will they be cured? '''RJ: '''No. Whatever the degree of taint channelers have won't change. (they won't get more) '''Zaela: '''Did Taim have motives for coming to Andor after he escaped the Aes Sedai? '''RJ: '''Ta-eem, (he said it phonetically) (don't know how to write down how to say it, but it's not how most people say it) '''RJ: '''Sure, he is a men who can channel. The Aes Sedai see him as a men who can channel. They will hunt him down and gentle him if they can. He has one safe haven in the world. A place were there are more men like him. Just maybe, if there are enough men like him, the Aes Sedai won't be able to come after him. (sorry Sodas, but at least he didn't complete wipe out YOUR theory) '''Q: '''Now that you've finished ''Knife of Dreams, How many more books will there be? '''RJ: '''I have said it before and will say it again. There will be one more book. Even if it has to be a 1500 page book. It will be the last book even if you have to use a luggage cart to move it (laughter and applause). (Tamyrlin question removed at his request. He will post it later.) comment by Isabel about answer for Tam's question; hehe, sometimes you wish you hadn't asked the question or only gotten a RAFO. Man walking around with microphone than made a comment to Isabel - you want me to just give that list to him (RJ)? (Emma's list of questions) Tam, Emma and Andrea were passing the list around between themselves. '''WSB: '''How was Nynaeve able to channel fire when she slept? (for Rahvin scene) '''RJ: '''In TAR you can channel fire. You can channel spirit only from your sleeping body but being in TAR is different and you can channel anything. '''Q: '''Is one of the effects of the taint to lower the boundaries between past lives or is Rand a special case? '''RJ: '''RAFO '''Q: '''You say one more main sequence book after KOD but will there be any more? '''RJ: '''I intend to do 2 prequels, one is why Tam al'Thor gave up a successful military career and went home to buy a small farm in the Two Rivers and the other one will be largely why and how Moiraine and Lan showed up in the nick of time in the EOTW. When I will do those 2 novels, I do not know. '''Q: '''Can you shield someone who is in TAR by shielding their sleeping body? '''RJ: '''if you are injured in TAR it will be transferred to your body, but not vice versa. Shielding someone in TAR it will shield the body, but shielding the body is not transferred to TAR. They can channel in TAR, but of course when they come out, they are shielded. '''Q: I have a question regarding the wolfbrothers such as Perrin and Elyas and Thom's nephew. RJ: 'Thom's nephew began to channel. '''Q: '''Oh. Anyway with all the wolfbrothers coming out now, will there be a resurgence of even more wolfbrothers? '''RJ: '''Could be. '''Q: '''Someone had a question about ''Machin Shin in the Ways. Since it seems to absorb the creatures that pass through there. Could you regard them as a servant of the Dark One or perhaps almost as a Forsaken? 'RJ: '''Its not a servant of the Dark One. It will kill Trollocs or anything else. You can say it's a parasite that grew in the Ways because of the Taint and the One Power that was used to initially create the Ways. The talisman of growing that was used to extend the Ways. So it's not a servant of the Dark One, but it's definitely on the evil side. '''Q: '''Would it be cleaned with the Cleansing of ''saidin? '''RJ: '''No. Its like a bacteria breed. Just by cleaning up the chemicals that caused the bacteria to come into existence, unless it's feeding on that, those chemicals, you are not going to destroy the bacteria. You simply cut off what helped to create it. '''Q: '''Did you have the intention to explore what happened before the Breaking of the World? '''RJ: '''No, anything I would do there would have a sense of inevitability. You know what's going to happen. '''Q: The waxing and waning of the novels' lengths your decision or the publishers? RJ: 'It was my decision. I submit the manuscripts and they run with it. '''Q: '''In ''The Great Hunt ''when Rand, Mat and Perrin are trying to enter the Ways ''Machin Shin is waiting there for them. It seems like Padan Fain has been waiting there for them. Is Machin Shin in any way related to the evil of Shadar Logoth? 'RJ: '''In some ways. ''Machin Shin is linked or you might say drawn to that. It's not a matter of linked, but more attracted by. In much the same ways as I spoke about the evils being attracted to one another due to opposite polarities. (shadar Logoth and the Taint) In the same way there is an attraction because Machin Shin was created in effect by the Taint. It grew out. You can see is at a fungus that was constructed with the wrong type of materials. If you think about it as that way you get a more idea about its true nature. '''Q: I was wondering, how did Rand stop the taint by channeling at Shadar Logoth because you said the taint and the evil at Shadar Logoth are different. Also, because Shadar Logoth came well after the taint, was there any way to stop it? RJ: 'No, there was no way to stop it or make it weaker (the SL evil). But when Rand made the conduit, they were attracted to each other due to opposite polarities, and they were attracted to each other and destroyed each other because of those differences, and it created a huge explosion. '''WSB: '''Was Taim a sparker or a learner? '''RJ: '''I am sorry? (didnt quite get what WSB meant) '''WSB: '''Did Taim had the spark or could he learn how to channel? '''RJ: '''He was born with the Spark. '''Q: '''Question about his writing routine. Do you write the same amount each day? '''RJ: '''He has breakfast, reads the newspaper, goes to his desk. Look at the emails I have to deal with. I cannot say go to Hell. Deal with the phone calls that have the same ranking. I am supposed to stop for lunch. I generally remember I have to stop for lunch about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I don't often eat lunch. Then I go help Harriet to get dinner on the table. I do that pretty much 7 days a week. I don't mind if I go fishing on a Wednesday or play golf. Last year I believe I played golf once and went fishing three times. '''Q: '''About ''New Spring, I had a question about Lan. About the battle with the Aiel. How do they recognize him? I guess I am more curious about the background how they recognize him and what they know of him and his back story. 'RJ: '''They know quite a bit about his back story. They think he is a man who has much ji''. He has a one man war against something he cannot beat. And they recognized him by the crescents on his helmet. '''Q: '''A question about the Forsaken. It is said they have varying levels of strength in the One Power. Do you know where they rank? '''RJ: '''Yes. '''Q: '''I get the impression that Asmodean is weaker than Lanfear even before he was shielded. How much weaker etc.? '''RJ: '''RAFO. I don't go into that kind of thing. I know where they are. I also know they are highly unreliable. None of them is going to admit that anyone is that much stronger than they are. Even when you are inside their heads. Don't take everything they say as the absolute truth or unbiased observation. '''Andrea: '''Are Min's visions about the past or the future? '''RJ: '''They are about the future. '''Me: '''wanted to ask how min saw blood in Taim's future and his past but they cut me off (I guess no time and we already gotten in many questions). Everyone laughing when I tried to sneak in the follow up question. '''Q: If Galad and Rand were to fight with swords who would win? (laughter) '''RJ: '''Well it's not going to happen. I would say Rand would, at least until recently. to be continued... http://theoryland.yuku.com/topic/9916/t/First-dragon-con-report.html Category:Conversations with Robert Jordan Category:Reports from Fans